Farm Indiana by HNE Media Magazines

october 2013 | Section A

Roxa Deaton enjoys a productive retirement with her sheep story By Robin winzenread fritz photos by josh marshall

FAMILY FARMS

ll eyes are on Roxa Deaton as she makes her way through the barn on the south side of the home she shares with husband, Rob Deaton. Lifting the lid on a garbage container, she reaches down and begins scooping up her own blend of sweet feed, pouring the grain scoop by scoop into assorted plastic feeders next to bales of mixed alfalfa, clover and fescue hay that was grown in the couple’s pastures. Tails flicker, ears twitch and Rusty, her large Tunis sheep, begins to baa. It’s dinner time at Amber Meadow Farm near Edinburgh, and Roxa’s flock is ready to eat. “I bought them for $1 a pound,” says Roxa, regarding Rusty and another one of her Tunis sheep, Will E, who also watches closely as she doles out dinner. “They were going to be market lambs and I said, no, those little boys aren’t going to the market. They’re going to come home with me.” “I named one Rusty and one Will E.,” Roxa continues. “I would call Will E. and Rusty would come. And then I would call Rusty and Will E. would come. Well, this went on for about three weeks, and finally I gave up and switched their names. They knew who they were; I was just too dumb to figure it out.”

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Rusty and Will E. are just two of the animals who live at Amber Meadow Farm. Joining them are Duncan, a Blueface Leicester sheep crossed with a North Country Cheviot, five pure-bred registered angora goats, one alpaca, and one llama, Marmara, who, in addition to providing fleece, serves as the farm’s security detail, guarding his fellow flock mates from coyotes. “He’s 15 years old, and he’s a big old baby,” Roxa says. “He still loves little kids. He’ll let little bitty ones take him for a walk. He’s so good. But you show him a coyote and he’s out to kill.”

While most farmers consider Tunis sheep a meat breed, for Roxa, it’s all about the wool. The animals provide not only fleece, but an income from the many products she makes by hand. A talented craftswoman, Roxa creates her own roving and spins her own yarn, often combining different fibers from her flock to make variegated yarns. She spins her wool on a large mahogany Kromski spinning wheel — Big Red, she fondly calls it — which was made the same way wheels were made 100 years ago. The spinning wheel is put together with wooden pegs and tied with

leather ties. Roxa says she has used her oldfashioned wheel in a variety of locations, even spinning in her pastures. “It’s a good wheel,” she says. “It spins like a dream. The thing they say about Kromskis — they spin like butter.” Roxa also knits, crochets and weaves. The end result of her efforts is a variety of colorful products ranging from felted handbags to knit vests to woven rugs. She sells her products through various shops, such as Scotland Yarn in Shelbyville, and is creating an Etsy store to feature her handmade goodies. Unlike many farmers, Roxa doesn’t breed her animals, nor does she cull them as they age, noting that most of her animals have continued to produce soft, usable wool despite their advancing years. When one black angora goat’s fleece began to change, it didn’t stop Roxa from making use of the sought-after fibers. “I used her for sweaters for quite a while, but once she hit 9, her fleece became a little more coarse, and I now use her in my rugs that I weave,” she explains. “It makes the most gorgeous rugs you ever saw, just yummy. And they feel so good on your feet.” Roxa noted that softer fibers — usually from younger animals — are used for clothing that sits close to the skin, but she adds that any fiber can be put to good use. Not one to waste an opportunity, Roxa has even incorporated cat hair into her yarn. “There’s no such thing as not spin-grade (wool),” says Roxa, “it just depends on what you do with it.” Roxa’s grandmother first taught her how to sew and knit, two hobbies she has been enjoying ever since. But it was an encounter at the Indiana State Fair that sparked her interest in spinning. “I was taking blood pressures for the hospital,” says Roxa, a retired respiratory therapist. “I was taking a break and walked through the Future Farmers building — this was about nine years ago — and there was this lady there with this thing that looked like a top going around on a long string,” Roxa says of her first encounter with a drop spindle. “She picked it up and started spinning, and I said, ‘Would you sell that to me?’ and she said sure. So she did! “I came home, and I dropped that thing all over the place; (I) never could learn to use it,” she recalls. “I do now, but I couldn’t then. So then I

See critters on a5

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Farm Indiana // october 2013

EDITOR’S NOTE

Warmest Wishes » This is a difficult

me a good case of seasonal affective disor-

Editor’s Note for

der … well before its time. If there’s any solace to be found, it’s

me to write. It’s one

A6 Indiana Barn Preservation A8 Stream Cliff Herb Farm

in which I have to

that I love the many aspects of fall that

acknowledge that

making living in Indiana great. I fancy

A12 Brown County Antique Machinery Association Swap Meet

it’s almost October,

wearing thick socks and warm sweaters;

and we’re already

I adore trips through Brown County to

A14 Turbine-Created Energy

into the fall season.

take in the turning leaves. I savor sipping

Which means I also

on homemade sweet potato and butter-

have to acknowledge

nut squash soups and treating myself to

that winter is just

pumpkin-flavored everythings while the

B4 Praise Acres Farm

around the corner.

pumpkin harvest is at its peak. And I love

B8 The Jaquess Family

sitting by a wood-stove fire and reading.

And this fact just leaves me cold.

I hope that, during your own quiet mo-

It means the growing season, at least the beautiful and temperate summer

ments, you will enjoy reading this month’s

growing season that I love so much, is

profiles of Amber Meadow Farm, Stream

over. It means soon I will need to pack

Cliff Herb Farm and Praise Acres, along

layers upon layers of clothes on my per-

with our many other stories. With each

son just to walk the approximate 200

issue of Farm Indiana, we have a golden

feet of our driveway to retrieve the mail.

opportunity to introduce the varied folks

It means when I let the dogs out in the

throughout Indiana who are growing

morning, I will be hit with a blast of frig-

their own food, raising livestock and liv-

id, dark air as my wake-up call, instead of

ing off the land. This fact warms my heart

the warm sun shining, the flowers bloom-

in ways — especially during Indiana’s bit-

ing and the birds singing. It means the

ter winters — that nothing else can.

hummingbirds, which I admired all sumclimes. Those little buggers are so smart.

B10 Hunting Guide B14 Quick Bites: 240Sweet

Comments, story ideas and suggestions should be sent to Sherri Lynn Dugger, The Republic, 333 Second St., Columbus, IN 47201, call (812) 379-5608 or email farmindiana@hnenewspapers.com. For advertising information, call (812) 379-5690.

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Just thinking about all this now gives

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Farm Indiana // october 2013

“My husband said, ‘Are you really going to be happy living out there?’And I said, ‘Well, yeah, but if you have land, you have to do something with it.’ And he said, ‘Well, what do you want to do with it?’ so I said, ‘Animals.’” —roxa Deaton

critters // cont. from a2 rented a spinning wheel, and I was a newbie and I chased that wheel all over the living room. My husband laughed so hard, he fell off the couch.” Eventually Roxa sought out the woman who sold her the drop spindle for spinning lessons. Nine years later, Roxa now gives her own lessons to fledgling spinners. Given the nature of her hobbies, it’s little wonder that Roxa also takes shearing her animals into her own hands as well, pointing out that she doesn’t use clippers. “You just give them a haircut,” Roxa says. “I use blades and I use scissors, and they just stand there and eat horse treats — we call them cookies because they know what that word is — and I basically give them a haircut. They just stand there. They don’t care.” While firmly ensconced in the country life now, it wasn’t always so for Roxa. A respiratory therapist for 20 years, she worked first at Methodist Hospital and then at Clarian Hospital — now IU Health — at times living in Marion County and Hamilton County. She spent her last 10 years as a computer instructor. When she and Rob began contemplating retirement, a shared idea about moving to the country began to blossom. “My husband said, ‘Are you really going to be happy living out there?’” she recalls. “And I said, ‘Well, yeah, but if you have land, you have to do something

with it.’ And he said, ‘Well, what do you want to do with it?’ so I said, ‘Animals.’ He kind of looked at me funny and said, ‘What kind of animals?’” Roxa suggested goats, and maybe a llama and an alpaca. “And he said, ‘We’re talking spinning, aren’t we?’” she recalls. “And I said, ‘Yeah, I think we are.’” Ironically, the animals moved to the new farm the day before she and Rob did in 2008. Roxa now lives in a single-story building, which husband Rob designed, that incorporates both a home on one side for them and a barn on the other side for their animals. The arrangement, she says, has both pros and cons. “I fight dust year-round” says Roxa, who suffers from hay fever and is allergic to dust and pollen, “so I clean the barn every day.” The advantages are many, however. “In the winter when everybody is slipping and sliding on the ice, I walk out that side door, and I’m in the barn,” she says. “If there’s anything going on out there, I know it.” But despite a little dust, Roxa and her flock are enjoying their productive retirement, noting that happy animals like her contented little herd tend to live longer lives. “It makes a big difference,” she says. “They’re pretty happy critters. In fact, they’re even a little spoiled.” And it’s clear, Roxa wouldn’t have it any other way. *FI

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If you think you have a barn or any other structure that qualifies for a credit, there are resources out there. “There is a national group, Barn Alliance (barnalliance.org) and Indiana Landmarks, Indiana’s statewide notfor-profit preservation advocacy organization, (that) regularly sponsors ‘Barn Again’ events,” David Duvall says. You can also contact Duvall personally; his contact info is available through the state Department of Natural Resources website, in.gov/dnr.

Barn Today, Gone Tomorrow Owners look for state and federal help to restore their crumbling structures By ed wenck We’ve seen them by the side of the road — old barns, decrepit and leaning; roofs riddled with holes; a few shreds of red paint or the faded vestiges of an ad for chewing tobacco. Some of those structures, it turns out, are of critical historical significance. Grants and tax breaks are available, both state and federal, for those trying to save these endangered pieces of American agricultural history. One gent who knows both the significance of these barns and how to navigate the tax code when it comes to preserving them is David Duvall. His title: historical architect, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology in the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. He explains why these barns are allowed to decay: “Although an old barn can be serviceable for certain kinds of things, in the modern farm context, by and large they’re obsolete. They can’t house the modern machinery or provide all the functions that might be needed.” Although prior generations built their barns to last for decades and overbuilt the structural supports to withstand Indiana winter squalls and violent spring storms, the joints holding those timbers together are what usually fail when neglected. Mortis and tenon joints are thinner than the surrounding lumber and tend to rot first. “They’re integral structures, they’re co-dependent. … What most often you see happen is the roof is neglected, and that permits water to eke down into the structure,” explains Duvall. “After one joint fails, then you’ve just got a domino effect that telegraphs through the whole (barn).” Around the 1970s, the federal government began to realize that barns, an important part of the American past, needed to be rescued, and in the early ’90s, the Hoosier state kicked in money to help. Duvall attempts to give a shortened version of just how a barn rehab project can qualify for funding or a tax credit: Generally speaking, grants available through his agency are

directed to public purposes such as local government jurisdictions and not-for-profit organizations like historical societies, he says. If you’re looking for assistance for private or businessrelated activities, you need to look for help through tax credits. “A certified historic rehabilitation requires that the property be listed on the National Register of Historic Places for federal credit and the Indiana Register of Historic Sites for state credit,” he explains. “Of course, we would need to analyze your particular property to understand its eligibility for register listing.” Both the federal and state programs offer credit for income tax at a rate of 20 percent of the qualified rehabilitation costs, he goes on to explain. “The state program requires only a minimum $10,000 investment in qualified costs,” he says. “If the site is not listed, but was constructed at its present location before 1936, it may be eligible for the 10 percent federal rehabilitation investment tax credit for uncertified (historical) buildings. This credit has no state equivalent.” So, simply put, any barn built prior to ’36 that hasn’t been moved is eligible for at least some assistance. Of course, there are other factors to be considered before the government cuts you some credit. In addition to appearance on the registry, barn preservation has to meet the following criteria for the federal credit, as outlined by the National Park Service: “A project must be ‘substantial,’ meaning your qualifying rehabilitation expenses must exceed the greater of $5,000 or the adjusted basis of the building (not to be confused with current tax assessments), and rehabilitation work has to meet the secretary of the Interior’s standards for rehabilitation as determined by the National Park Service.” You can’t just cut in a bank of windows on a formerly featureless wall, or add some funky modern turrets a la something conjured by the city-turned-country-dwellers in “Beetlejuice.”

“Although an old barn can be serviceable for certain kinds of things, in the modern farm context, by and large they’re obsolete.” —david duvall The Story Inn barn remodel (from left): A 120-year-old oak post that was removed sits next to a new red oak post. Workers put a new roof on the old barn. Rough-sawn Indiana poplar was used for the flooring in the loft. The stage on the back of the barn, decorated for a fall wedding. Workers spent about four months renovating the barn. Photos courtesy of Story Inn.

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Additionally, the cash outlay that’s eligible for credit is limited to rehab on the structure alone; that idea for a flower-bordered stone path to and from the house might be lovely, but site work is excluded. So is one kind of barn more valuable or at least more historically significant than another? As far as Indiana is concerned, “There are a significant number of round barns in the state,” according to Duvall. “The federal government is taking pains to document each and every one of these barns.” Round barns are considerably rarer than your average English horse barns or dairy barns. “In the 19th century you’d tend to find German or Pennsylvania Dutch bank barns (barns built into a hillside and accessible on a higher and lower level on that bank), but when you get to the turn of the 20th century it’s mostly dairy barns,” Duvall says. “When you get to the national register, most barns are listed as part of a ‘farm group’ (part of a group of structures — home/barn/silo — targeted for preservation), where a lot of the round barns are individually listed.” One Indiana barn that’s found new life is the 100-plus-yearold Brown County structure just behind the Story Inn, south of Nashville on State Road 135. Last fall, Story Inn owner Rich Hofstetter asked his general manager, Kevin Allen, to take a look at the building and plan a rehab job. Allen, who’s also the inn’s chef and a civil engineer to boot, took a long, hard look and determined what the barn needed: “A match.” (One gets the sense Allen is only half joking.) Since arson was a poor business model — not to mention frowned upon by the local authorities — work began on the barn in earnest in April. “We changed this barn from a junked, catchall trash barn to a 70- to 80-foot dining hall,” says Allen. In 2001, a music stage had been erected to take the place of one wall that had collapsed in a Hoosier windstorm, and misuse and neglect had taken a heavy toll on the native poplar and oak posts within. “Twelve out of the 16 posts had to be replaced,” recounts Allen. ”Some were 12 to 14 feet long, others were 22 feet, and we had to splice posts together (to make them whole again). Often times we weren’t planning on replacing a whole post, but once we got into it, we knew the thing was a goner.” Mason jar lamps, fresh timber and a new tin roof that sandwiches an inch and a half of insulating Styrofoam to cool the interior under the Indiana summer sun were all fitted to the barn for its opening on Labor Day weekend. In order to ready the hall for events from small private weddings to major public events — including the barn’s inaugural soiree, the Hoosier Hops and Harvest Festival on Sept. 7 — Story’s owners laid out an estimated $60,000. And of that money, not a penny came from grants or tax credits. *FI

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Opposite page: A barn on the Lindley Heritage Farm in Bartholomew County. Below: A round barn on the Circle K Farm in Johnson County. Photos by Josh Marshall

18 Minutes from I-465

Farm Indiana // october 2013

FAMILY FARMS

Betty Manning is passionate about teaching others to garden

story By Robin winzenread fritz photos by josh marshall Betty Manning

f the many titles Betty Manning holds — entrepreneur, farmer, gardener, author, teacher, artist — it may be the unofficial one of philosopher that leaves the greatest impression. Surrounded by the stunning gardens of her multifaceted Stream Cliff Herb Farm in southeastern Indiana, she clearly excels at both growing beautiful things and profiting from them, but her thoughts about the process of growth are what leave her audience transfixed. “Be careful how you handle your seeds because there’s life within,” Betty says. “Isn’t that a precious thought? I didn’t originate that, but it really has made me think. I’ve sold thousands and thousands and thousands of seeds every year because of the greenhouse, and sometimes you pour out seeds and they look like specks of dust. But within that speck it knows the color it will be, it knows what bloom period it will be, it knows whether it wants sun or shade, it knows whether it’s going to be cold tolerant or not. It’s mind boggling. “How can all of that be wrapped in a seed?” she ponders. Growth — whether it be in the form of seeds, plants or projects — is evident throughout Stream Cliff. Greenhouses teem with plants of all shapes and sizes as patrons shop for fall sales. Others taste a sampling of wines in the former blacksmith’s barn where prints of Betty’s folk art paintings grace the walls and are sold. Sunday bikers — both the pedal and motorcycle kind — sit on the shady porch of the Twigs and Sprigs Tearoom, choosing from a menu that includes the herbs and edible flowers grown at the farm. Couples stroll through gardens sporting wooden birdhouses, large metalsculpted butterflies hang from trees and children cross primitive timber bridges to watch goldfish in ponds. For Betty, it’s just a typical late summer Sunday. But it wasn’t always the case. Stream Cliff’s roots as a farmstead reach back to 1821,

when James Harmon moved to Indiana from Maine to claim his father’s land grant deeded to him by Gen. George Washington as payment for his service in the Revolutionary War. Harmon first lived in a hollow tree on the property before building the home Betty and her husband, Gerald Manning, have lived in since 1966. Harmon built the large, two-story home by hand from bricks made with the farm’s clay soil and fired in a homemade kiln. While visitors to the farm today come for the food, flowers and wine, that wasn’t the case when Gen. John Morgan and his men stopped at Stream Cliff on July 11, 1863, during their infamous raid through Indiana. Money and horses were on their minds, and they promptly stole both from Harmon before riding off to raid the town of Dupont.

5969 E US 50 Seymour, IN 47274 812-522-2367

About Stream Cliff Herb Farm Stream Cliff Herb Farm is located near Commiskey, just south of North Vernon in Jennings County. The greenhouses, shops and Twigs and Sprigs Tearoom are open Wednesdays through Sundays now through Oct. 20. Stream Cliff Farm Winery remains open Wednesdays through Sundays through Dec. 29, with limited Saturday hours January through March. See the farm’s website, streamclifffarm.com, for hours as they differ by day.

5969 E US 50 Seymour, IN 47274 812-522-2367

Red brick paths lead visitors around the gardens.

While not related to Harmon, Betty still treasures the history of the place, noting that seven generations of her own family have called the place home. “It was a family farm for many generations,” she says. The present farm includes 470 acres, the majority of which are still planted in corn, soybeans and hay. But it’s the homestead, with its tearoom, shops, winery and greenhouses, that garners the most attention. Gerald and Betty first started offering plants and crafts

Farm Indiana // october 2013

for sale in the 1970s, primarily during the Christmas season, before eventually expanding to include greenhouses. “Our primary focus started out, actually more along cooking with herbs and flowers and unusual plants. That’s where we started,” she says, “and then I decided I would teach a lot of classes on herbs and cooking. And the classes went over well.” The classes and her recipes went over so well, in fact, that she decided to open the tearoom in 1995, creating a menu that highlights the many herbs and edible flowers grown at

Stream Cliff, including her personal favorites: basil, rosemary and nasturtiums. Additionally, her book, “Secrets of the Garden Paths, with Recipes,” was published in 2012 and features pictures of the farm, discusses the culinary uses of herbs grown in its gardens and offers a variety of family and tearoom recipes. As for Stream Cliff Farm Winery, its inspiration came about in 2001 when Gerald’s doctor suggested he have one glass of wine a day after receiving a heart stent. Now the

See stream cliff on a10

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Farm Indiana // october 2013

BELOW: Roger Boop and Suellen Reed enjoy ice cream in the tearoom restaurant. RIGHT: Comfortable chairs and a quiet porch swing await visitors to the Stream Cliff Winery. BOTTOM: Rustic red wagons take the place of shopping carts.

stream cliff // cont. from a9 farm offers a variety of its own red and white wines, created by Gerald and the Mannings’ son, Greg, a horticulturalist. Daughter Elizabeth Manning Wiley also contributes to the family operation by overseeing the tearoom. Having her children involved and knowledgeable about plants and cooking is important to Betty, who grew up learning self-sufficiency as a way of life. It’s a value she has instilled in her family — including her six grandchildren — and one she shares with her community as well. “Growing up, we were pretty much self-sufficient,” she says. “We had our own beef and our own pork and our own poultry. We had our vegetable garden. Mother canned and froze so much. There were very few things we had to buy.” Betty recalls that as a child she was a tomboy who enjoyed helping her father take care of Stream Cliff, which belonged to her grandfather until his death in 1958. “We lived just on the other end of the farm,” she says. “I would plow, I would disk, I

Farm Indiana // october 2013

A11

LEFT: An arch reads "Welcome to my Garden" at the entrance to the Stream Cliff Farm gardens. BELOW: A recently constructed outdoor gathering place hosts musicians performing blues, folk, jazz and bluegrass music.

would rake hay, and we would bale. He handled the more difficult jobs and I would do the simple jobs. And I got so interested in growing plants and herbs — in particular, herbs.” At one time Betty worked as a nurse practitioner, but eventually her love of gardening took over. “I’m just adamant that people should learn how to garden and grow their own things,” says Betty, as she sits in the winery at Stream Cliff. “I think it’s so terribly important, especially in today’s time when our country has so much hunger. If people could just learn to garden, it would help so much with some of the problems that we’re having.” Betty talks of a children’s garden club that is in place at Graham Creek Elementary School up the road from the farm. “I just have this passion in my heart that children need to learn how to plant seeds,” she says, “and they need to learn how to grow things because there may be a time in their life when they desperately depend on that.” As for the future, Stream Cliff is expanding to include onsite weddings and may eventually house a vineyard as well. Betty is contemplating writing another book in addition to offering a steady lineup of fall classes and candlelight dinners. No doubt more wine will be made, food will be cooked and recipes will be shared, but all the while Hoosier-grown philosopher Betty Manning will remain a tomboy with a green thumb at heart. *FI

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Farm Indiana // october 2013

Tools of the Trade

uppose you wanted to find a

Brown County Antique Machinery Association hosts its 18th annual swap meet

one-row mounted corn picker/sheller. A

By jeff tryon

good place to look would be the annual

replacement coil for a 1947 Massey Ferguson Model 100 Tractor or a gear for a Ford

Brown County Antique Machinery Association Annual Swap Meet coming up Oct. 26 at the Brown County Fairgrounds in Nashville. And even if you don’t find the part you’re searching for, you’ll still get to see a lot of old machinery and tools, prowl through bins full of various and sundry doodads and geegaws from dozens of vendors, and possibly even have one of those “Huh, I haven’t seen one of those in years” moments. And there’s food. The club serves doughnuts in the morning and chili or hot dogs later in the day, so no one need go hungry while in pursuit of that certain part or special tool. The swap meet started approximately 18 years ago as a second event for the Brown County Antique Machinery Association, which also hosts an antique tractor and machinery show at the same location each year on the first weekend in May. The club started in 1989, but its roots go at least five years deeper, when founding association member Jim Kelp and a friend, Bernard Hatchett, started “fooling ’round with old tractors,” Kelp said. “We decided to talk to some of the people around and see if they would be interested in starting a club,” Kelp recalled. “We had a meeting at the fire station in Nashville. I think there were about 20 people who attended and were

A previous year's Swap Meet. Photo courtesy of Jim Kelp

interested and thought it would be a good thing to do.”

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Farm Indiana // october 2013

The initial idea was to form a group through which members could restore

the growth of both the events and the

farm tractor parts, lawn tractor parts,

club itself.

tractors, tools, old wrenches, old gas

The group’s current membership sits

old equipment and tractors together, but

engines. Basically, anything you would

when the club formed, “We decided (to

around 200, but it has reached as high as

name it) Brown County Antique Machin-

350 members in the past. Kelp said most

ery Association so that it would cover all

members grew up on a farm. “Most of

antique show, but, of course, everything’s

old equipment, gas engines, farm equip-

the people who are a part of the club, this

for sale,” Kelp added. “I think it’s quite

ment or just any old equipment,” Kelp

equipment is a part of their childhood

interesting, myself. I really enjoy it even if

said. “We didn’t want to limit it to just

memories,” he explained.

I don’t sell much. I enjoy just visiting and

Several years after the club formed,

tractors or gas engines.”

Kelp suggested the group host a swap

They decided to have a show at the fair-

The event is “in a sense, almost like an

their first year of existence, and at the

the fall, so it wouldn’t interfere with the

demonstration models set up at the swap

inaugural event, 21 people exhibited. Kelp

May events. A vendor fee of $15 has en-

meet, Kelp said, but sometimes there are

estimated the spring machinery show

couraged a showing of 50 to 55 vendors

some nice pieces there on sale.

event has grown to 400 or 500 people in

over the past several years.

Cost: Free

“It’s kind of a little bit of a social event,

Information: (812) 988- 4027; bcama.net

too,” he said. “We visit and joke with the

trailer of stuff they want to sell and pull

guys and try to have a good time. People

definitely kept growing,” he said. Ad-

in and start selling,” Kelp explained.

come from Ohio, Kentucky and pretty

vertising and word-of-mouth have fed

“Basically, it’s anything farm-related:

well all around Indiana.” *FI

“It’s kind of hard to tell, but it has

Where: Brown County Fairgrounds, 802 Memorial Drive, Nashville

Unlike the antique tractor and machinery show in the spring, there are no

“They just bring their truck and

When: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 26

looking around.”

meet. Club members agreed to hold it in

attendance in recent years.

Brown County Antique Machinery Association 18th Annual Swap Meet

find around an old farmstead.”

grounds the last weekend of April during

“Most of the people who are a part of the club, this equipment is a part of their childhood memories.” —jim kelp

Brown County Antique Machinery Association holds its other annual event, an antique tractor and machinery show, in the spring. Brown County Democrat file photo.

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Farm Indiana // october 2013

the

Turbine-created energy becomes more of a possibility for southern Indiana By ed wenck

f you’ve driven north to Chicago on Interstate 65, you’ve doubtless seen them — acres of windmills stretching beyond the horizon, turbines converting the wind blowing into the heartland off the Great Lakes into power for lights, TVs and computers. Some folks find them to be a signal that the Hoosier state has begun to embrace the notion of a renewable energy source that could be profitable both for those leasing the land for these turbines as well as those erecting them.

update every few years, and they basically characterize the wind speeds across the country,” according to Jesse Kharbanda, executive director of the Hoosier Environmental Council. Soon, though, these generators will likely become more prevalent in the southern region as turbine technology allows taller windmills to be built. Developers attacked the “lowhanging fruit” first, targeting those areas where wind speeds were greatest in Indiana. Increasing turbine height, however, will make the spread of these machines profitable elsewhere: “The higher you go in elevation, the windier it gets,” says Kharbanda. And that wind means cash for both local and larger economies. “Most wind farms are going to be built by independent wind companies,” Kharbanda says. These companies generally have both

Others see the turbines as a blight upon the landscape, machines that create an aural disturbance, a flickering light (created by the blades passing in front of the tower’s red aircraft-warning signal) that can be at best disconcerting, and a threat to birds, bats and even human health. These turbines can be seen primarily north of Indianapolis, and that’s due to wind patterns that are specific to the state. “The National Renewable Energy Lab produces maps that they

technical skills and financial acumen. They’re entrepreneurs who have the capital to build the farms and sell electricity to utilities like IPL. They don’t own the sites where those turbines sit, however, and that’s where a local farmer can make money. “(The companies) lease the land,” Kharbanda explains. “Some farmers will receive a lump sum payment, but most of the time they get paid based on how much power gets produced.” Kharbanda points out

that rural policymakers, faced with farm consolidation and a “brain drain” in ag-based counties, can use these farms to offset revenue losses. Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (PILOT) programs, along with traditional taxes paid by the wind farmers, help to generate funds for communities that have seen their populations dwindle. For years, California had been tops in wind energy. Turbines had popped up in vast numbers east of Oakland to catch the rapid winds blowing from the Pacific, across San Francisco Bay and into the Sierras. In typical ride-the-boom fashion, however, the folks in Texas realized that the howling gusts that blew out of the west could be harnessed effectively at fairly low heights, and the Lone Star State soon became America’s wind-energy leader. The growth of wind power in Indiana had been on a steady rise until very recently. Now that expansion has flattened out. “The pace has been somewhat slowed by the instability of federal incentives and the absence of any serious and substantial state incentives,” says Kharbanda. In other parts of the country where state governments have focused more attention on wind’s potential, the percentage of energy generated from turbines is significant: “Iowa, believe it or not, gets almost 20 percent of its electricity from wind, whereas ours is less than 2 percent,” he notes. So why the disparity between these two Midwestern states? Are lawmakers less likely to incentivize the growth of wind energy here in Indiana as a result of public outcry? Are Hoosiers dead set against the idea of turbines? Perhaps not, according to the results of one survey conducted by Linda Prokopy, an associate professor of natural resource social science at Purdue University. “We did a survey in Benton, Tippecanoe and Boone counties … to understand perceptions of wind turbines in those counties,” she says. “What we found was that, across all three counties, the public generally perceives that wind turbines are a good thing. “We did some interviews as well,” she adds. “What we saw is that there are some people who are opposed to these turbines, and they’re very, very vocal. They have the ear of local government, they’re getting people to go to meetings … especially in Boone. We found it was a small minority, but they were very, very vocal in their opposition.” Conversely, those who support the

notion seemed to limit their activism to a simple “yes” answer to Prokopy’s queries. “They’re not going to go out rallying to have wind turbines in their community.” Prokopy also asked residents about the negatives she’d seen being discussed in the local press in those communities where wind farms had been planned. She says she couldn’t find scientific literature that backed up claims of major threats to human health, but the hum, the flicker and especially the death of birds and bats were issues that Prokopy relayed to those she surveyed. “People simply didn’t seem all that concerned about any of those things,” she says. (One group that definitely seemed upset by Prokopy’s methods was the Whitley County Concerned Citizens, whose members outlined their issues with the study online. Both the Whitley County group and an organization called tiptonwindconcerns.com did not respond to requests for comment for this article.) Prokopy was actually fairly surprised by the study’s results: “I wanted to do a survey that explained why some people supported wind turbines and why some people didn’t. … Did they watch Fox News or MSNBC? … Did they think climate change was real or didn’t they?” she explains. “I was going to build this whole statistical model for the variations in support of wind turbines. … You couldn’t even do that because there was so much support for (them).” Still, Kharbanda is well aware of the challenges wind farms face in states like Indiana, and he’s calling on the industry to ensure that they’re siting farms with the utmost caution. Given the hum and flicker, the turbines need to be set far away from human dwellings, and Kharbanda insists that the companies must work hand in hand with federal wildlife protection agencies and the state DNR to minimize the impact on bats, birds and other animals. “It’s all about how carefully we site the wind farms,” he says. “I think if the wind industry wants to differentiate itself from classical energy technology, then it has to hold itself to some pretty high standards.” But Kharbanda wants to remind us that there’s no perfect energy source: “There is no such thing as a purely virtuous source of electricity. Every source corresponds to certain impacts on the environment. Wind is no exception.” *FI

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Farm Indiana // october 2013

“I think if the wind industry wants to differentiate itself from classical energy technology, then it has to hold itself to some pretty high standards.” —jesse kharbanda executive director of the Hoosier Environmental Council

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october 2013 | Section B

FAMILY FARMS

From Barn to Business College student and young entrepreneur Angela Abney describes the road to owning Red Barn Meats

story By teresa nicodemus photos by josh marshall

ust before fall classes started at Purdue University this year, you would have found Angela Abney working as a crop scout for Premier Ag during a summer intern-

ship. It was a perfect complement to her agricultural business management studies. She walked in corn and soybean fields, looking for pests, diseases and weeds. She expertly identified any irregularities in the fields and logged them into a carryon GPS device, which would alert the farmer she worked for to treat the specific problem area in the crop rather than the entire field. “This is called precision management,” Abney explains. “We are basically the eyes of the farmer, since they may not have time to evaluate every field.”

Angela Abney stands in front of the family's red barn, which became the name of her business, Red Barn Meats. The Abney barn was purchased and transported, piece by piece, from a farm in Waldron 21 years ago, after Abney's parents heard the owner was going to tear it down.

Farm Indiana // october 2013

A selection of items offered by Red Barn Meats. INSET: A free-range peacock.

Twenty-year-old Abney not only has a keen eye for spotting crop irregularities, she has an eye for business, as well. Her business sense bloomed at the age of 18, and it hasn’t stopped. Her successful business venture, now over 2 years old, is a meat-selling company called Red Barn Meats in Bargersville.

Award-winning project As long as she can remember, Abney has attended farmers markets with her family. They would sell vegetables from their family farm in Bargersville. Many of the people attending the market wanted to purchase meat, but there were never any local meat vendors, she recalls. The Abney family farm raises cattle, pigs, lambs, goats and chickens. The freezer meat her father, Douglas Abney, sold was usually directly to friends and co-workers, and it was always a break-even transaction. “I figured if we really worked at it, we could have a legitimate meat-selling business,” she says. “We had the animals; why not start a business? It would not be hard to build a customer base.” Determined to see her business idea through to fruition, she used her own funds to begin Red Barn Meats. She had savings built through acquiring funds from selling her animals in 4-H auctions during high school. “I remember my very first purchase was freezer chests to keep all of the meat frozen,” says Abney. “I used all of my own funds and have the greatest financial risk to bear.” She also pulled money from her savings to purchase animals from her family farm for butchering and packaging. Abney’s parents helped her with the administration of starting a

business. They helped her complete state paperwork for an LLC designation and assisted in arranging for insurance for all of her food products to be sold at farmers markets, including health certificates for all counties where Red Barn Meats products are sold. “My dad helps me the most,” she says. “We signed a contract to trade labor. For example, I’ll work on the family farm basically for free, but then he will work the farmers markets for me. I send him to one every weekend.” When Abney is at school, her dad will manage day-to-day operations, such as taking orders for meat over the phone, being available for State Board of Health visits or taking animals to the butcher. Abney pays her younger sister, Allie, and brother, Doug, to organize the meat and prepare it for sale at the markets. Sherry Sabina-Abney, Angela’s mother, also helps sell the meat at farmers markets.

Farm Indiana // october 2013

A second red barn hosts a walk-in storage freezer and an area where current prices and the many awards Abney has won are displayed.

Since she was a freshman in high school, Abney was heavily involved in Future Farmers of America (FFA). During her senior year in high school, she entered her meat business as her senior year project in the FFA Supervised Agriculture Experience program (SAE). Requirements entailed a detailed report of all business records. Her organized business skills and entrepreneurship were rewarded with a first place in the district FFA Agricultural Sales Proficiency category and first place at the Indiana state level in 2011 and 2012. Abney plans to enter her business to compete at the FFA national level in Ag Sales Proficiency next spring.

A growing customer base “Customers can come to us during any farmers market and ask how the meat is processed,” Abney says of her business’s finer selling points. “We can describe to them all aspects of processing from barn to plate. That is what has secured our customer base.” Abney’s family raises a rare breed of cattle called Belted Galloways, which originated in Scotland and have distinctive markings. The cattle are black and white with white bands around their stomachs. “They are often referred to as Oreo cows,” explains Abney. “We have a Belted Galloway hide that we use as a tablecloth during the farmers markets. The cows’ hair is extremely long, growing 4 to 6 inches in July, and in the winter the hair gets longer. Instead of growing a layer of fat in winter to keep warm, their hair grows longer, which provides a leaner meat than other breeds of beef cattle.” All the animals for Red Barn Meats are purchased from the family farm or from local 4-H members

who practice the same farming techniques as the Abney family does. The Abneys take measures to use little or no antibiotics, steroids or growth hormones. Animals only receive antibiotics if they are sick. “We pick and choose who we purchase animals from,” Abney explains. “Many of our customers are more health-conscious.” The Abneys have 150 acres of pasture and farmland. “Right now we have about 50 head of cattle, 15 pigs, 50 chickens for eggs, about 10 sheep and 10 goats,” she says. The life cycle for the cattle on the farm is a year and a half to two years from the time they are born to butchering. Belties, says Abney, are a slow-growing breed and take longer to grow to the full butchering weight of around 1,100 to 1,200 pounds. Pigs on the farm are purchased as piglets and are kept for at least six months. Goats and sheep have a 4- to 6-month life span before being taken to butcher. The Abney farm follows a freerange strategy. All animals have access to pasture 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “We leave the barn open, and they eat as they please,” she explains. “When we pour the grain in the trough, they are on a schedule and know when to eat.” A separate section of the farm is used for strictly grass-fed cattle, using a rotational grazing system. The cattle are moved every three days to a new pasture, making the pasture land more productive. “Grass takes a long time to grow back, but using multiple smaller pastures allows the cattle to eat plenty of fresh grass,” she explains. “We are trying to build another rotational grazing system now. Demand has significantly grown for leaner meats. We want to expand that side of our operation for our customers.” When it is time for animals to

be butchered, they are transported to DeWig Meats in Evansville, a USDA-inspected facility. “Everything we get back from the butcher is flash-frozen,” she says. “We sell beef, pork and lamb at the farmers markets from a truck carrying freezer chests. But we also take orders for meat online through Facebook and email. Customers must purchase from the farmers market or come to the farm (to pick up the meat). We are not large enough to ship meat to our customers, but that is one of our goals for business expansion.” Red Barn Meats has tripled its sales from its first year and doubled its second-year sales. “We have continued to grow, but now we have

more expenses,” Abney says. Big dreams and a bright future for Red Barn Meats are only a creative idea away. She would like eventually to sell wholesale meats to restaurants. When it comes to talk of her business success, Abney takes it all very lightly. “Older women will say to me, ‘I’m so proud of you. You have accomplished so much,’” she says. “I tell people my parents were there to help me.” *FI

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Farm Indiana // october 2013

Love and Honor

Jeff and Sharon Beck have turned their land into a tribute to the farming tradition

story By Ryan trares photos by josh marshall

and look at it, get some enjoyment of it.” For 120 years, Praise Acres Farm has been part of the landscape in the White River Township area. Jeff’s grandfather

for decades. That means much in their corner of White River Township. “It’s amazing that everything for the most part has been

founded the farm, and it has been dutifully cared for since. Al-

retained in the family farms,” Jeff says. “I would guess in

n Praise Acres Farm, a monument to Bargers-

though the Becks rent out the land and no longer do the farm-

the state we’re a rarity.”

ville’s agricultural heritage and natural blessings

ing themselves, they’re proud to have maintained the tradition

has been carved out of the existing farmland. An-

of keeping the property as a Hoosier Homestead farm.

tique plows, cultivators, seeders and hay rakes are arranged

“This tract of land is home,” Jeff says. “This means a lot to

in a museum-like fashion, allowing passersby and guests

me, and I would hope our kids would at some point enjoy it

to see the tools that farmers used 100 years ago. Crooked

as much as we do.”

Creek, which runs alongside the 10-acre plot, provides a

The Beck name has the same kind of staying power. The Beck farm was founded in 1893, when 70 acres of land was purchased by Amzie and Cova Jane Young Beck. Jeff’s father, John Earl Beck, was born in a house on that land. An additional 160 acres was purchased in 1921, after a

All around the Becks’ property, long-standing family

fire destroyed the original home. Farming was passed down from father to son. John Earl

wet retreat where youngsters can play, and dozens of trees

farms are the norm. Jeff points to five or six families that

have been planted in rows to allow the forest to reclaim the

live within a mile or so of his home that have been farming

Beck worked the land with his father, Amzie Beck, eventu-

field. The former farmland was set aside by owners Jeff and

for more than 100 years.

ally taking over the farming operation in 1952. During

Sharon Beck as testament and thanks for their lives. “God’s

In most cases, those families have maintained the land

the initial years of their farming together, all the work was

been real good to us,” Jeff says. “We’ve had a good marriage,

for agriculture. Names such as Duke, Richardson and

carried out with the use of horse-powered tools. Only a few

good health. We’ve been blessed. It’s nice for people to stop

Hilderbrand have been staples in the farming community

items required tractor power.

“This tract of land is home. This means a lot to me, and I would hope our kids would at some point enjoy it as much as we do.” —Jeff beck

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Farm Indiana // october 2013

Sharon and Jeff Beck

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Farm Indiana // october 2013

Jeff remembers helping his father with his weekly Satur-

farming to the farmers,” Jeff says. “It wasn’t fair for me to

be ground into hog feed, into town or heading to Moores-

work at Lilly and farm part time, when these other guys are

ville for the agricultural auction.

trying to make a living at it.”

When he got to go to town, Jeff says, his father would of-

Jeff and Sharon were married in 1973 and built their home a year later on the same land his ancestors had estab-

fer his son a quarter to spend on candy. Sculptures named (from left) "Faith," "Freedom" and "Family" are on display at an intersection near the Praise Acres Farm. Carver Brian Kinch signed the three pieces and noted the year they were carved.

it (working with his father), but I decided to just leave the

day traditions, either hauling corn, which would eventually

As an adult, Jeff farmed the 250-acre land with his fa-

lished. Their home sat where the original Beck home had

ther for a short time. John Earl was nearing the end of his

burned in the 1920s. Unfortunately, tragedy would strike

career in farming, however, and Jeff was offered a position

the site twice.

as an engineering technician at Eli Lilly and Co. “I enjoyed

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We’re Telling the stories of

Local Farmers, Farm Families & Agricultural Businesses

august 2013 | section a

FAMILY FARMS

John Glick is known around Bartholomew County as both a farmer and a friend

story By sharon mangas photos By josh marshall

etired farmer and former longtime resident of Hope, John Glick, 73, has a sense of humor that’s legend in the area. Country magazine named him “America’s Number One Country Character” in 1991 — thanks to a nomination submitted by his wife, Jean, 72, who has been married to him since 1959. The title went to John because of his penchant for playing practical jokes on Hope locals, neighbors and even family members. Nephew Rory Glick, a Columbus funeral director, once farmed with John and knows his uncle well. “Uncle John loves life, loves to be around people … and he loves to tease,” Rory says.

Giving

John and Jean Glick, with their

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Farm Indiana // october 2013

The Beck File: Praise Acres Farm Owners: Jeff and Sharon Beck Where: Rural Bargersville Acres: 250 Founded: 1893 Farm production: Land is rented out to area farm families, who raise soybeans and corn

The Becks lean on a cross they erected on their property. ABOVE: A sunflower garden is in full bloom. Sharon notes that of the several years they've grown sunflowers, this is the first year "they're really nice."

the Becks to bulldoze the remains and start over. “But we’re still here,” Sharon says. The Becks eventually sold off a 70-acre portion of the land, and the rest they rent to Steve Duke, a distant cousin of Jeff, who now farms it. Still, Jeff helps the Dukes care for the land, taking the tractor out or pulling the wagon to the grain bin when needed. With his remaining property, Jeff has created a monument to the farming tradition. His goal was to retain some of the heritage of the area for future generations. A chapel was erected in a secluded part of a field, and a lighted cross sits atop a mound of earth. Last year, Jeff had three huge chunks of wood that came from a felled pin oak towed to the site. He then hired a chainsaw artist to carve depictions of wildlife, farming, a bald eagle and praying hands. The Becks have considered eventually turning the land over to the town of Bargersville to use as a park. “Sharon and I both enjoy nature, and we have some deer and some turkey and some rabbits,” Jeff says. If the time does come to donate it as a park, the Becks would ensure that the trees aren’t cut down or the land bulldozed. “I just want it left natural, so that, as Dad used to say, ‘People can go down and play in the crick,’” Jeff says. But the Becks have no plans to leave their homestead anytime soon. The couple still maintains their garden and yard, and they enjoy being around the farm activity in the area. Though their children, Brian and Erin, both live out of state, they come back to visit when they can, and the Becks’ three grandchildren, Lily, Austin and Ava, love running around the woods with their grandfather when they can. “I’ll probably live here forever,” Jeff says. “It’s home. I can piddle around, jump on the (John Deere) Gator (utility vehicle) and look for deer.” *FI

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Farm Indiana // october 2013

Seeing Things Grow

The Jaquess family stays close to home and to its farming heritage story By marcia walker

photos by josh marshall

artha Ann “Annie” Jaquess’ favorite place to sit is on her front porch, where she can watch the wind work its way through the cornfields across the road. “I enjoy seeing things grow,” says Annie, who recently celebrated her 81st birthday. Evidence of her ability to nurture and make things grow is visible everywhere on the Jaquess homestead in the southeast corner of Bartholomew County. There are flowers in containers on the wide front porch and in the side yard, a strawberry patch out back and a big vegetable garden behind the house, which some of her nine grandchildren help her tend. Then there is the farm itself. Annie’s grandfather, Marion Dickey, began the operation; today the key players are two of

John and Gary Jaquess inspect a bug found on their crops.

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Farm Indiana // october 2013

John Jaquess maneuvers his John Deere 8260R. BELOW: Cody Wilson and John Jaquess chat while enjoying the late evening sun, as calls from cicadas can be heard from nearby trees.

Annie’s four sons, Gary and John, and the operation covers hundreds of acres, mostly in Rockcreek Township, although one farm is located in Jennings County. “My grandfather started with 80 acres,” Annie says. “Each generation added to it a little bit. We rent about half of what we farm.” Through the years, Annie has always played an integral part in the farming operation. She also found time to teach — 36 years as a substitute teacher — and she has been very involved with Grammer Presbyterian Church. “Mom is the gel that holds this family together,” Annie’s daughter, Jacque Denny, claims. Jacque says only recently did she realize how many years her mother taught. Annie would leave for school after her own children left on the school bus each morning, and she was already home by the time they arrived home at the end of the school day. “She would come home, help Dad and get supper on the table,” Jacque recalls. Annie Jaquess lives in the same house where she spent the first eight years of her life. Her parents, the late Estol and Mary Dickey, lived with her grandparents. “I was born during the Depression,” Annie explains. “My Dickey grandparents lived here. We lived with them. ... We all lived together in this house.” Annie was 8 when her parents moved to a house about a quarter-mile down the road, where her son, Gary, lives now. “We moved down there to what was called the Springer place,” Annie says. “My grandfather bought that and fixed it up; it was an old, broken-down house. And Gary is still fixing it up.” Other than leaving to attend college, Annie has lived her entire life in one house or the other along this stretch of road. She and her late husband, Wayne Jaquess, didn’t set out to pursue farming as a way to make a living. Annie planned on teaching. Wayne thought he would go into business. “He wanted to have his own little factory,” Annie explains. “He graduated from IU during the recession. There just weren’t any interviews. He went to work for my dad ’til he found a job. He always said he was still looking.” In the farming community, the name Jaquess has often been associated with beef, but Wayne actually began by raising hogs. “There were hogs on all three sides of us,” Annie recalls. “He just kind of drifted into grain farming and cattle.” The switch to cattle came in 1975, when Wayne added a feedlot. “It held 200 head,” Gary recalls. “There was enough volume to sell directly to the packers.” Gary explains that when the local packers shut down, it meant trucking the cattle farther west, to states like Iowa and Kansas, which ate into the profit. Then the price of corn began spiraling, and that marked the end of the feedlot.

“When corn prices got so high, it didn’t make sense to run it through the cattle,” Annie explains. These days, the focus of Jaquess Inc. is on growing corn and soybeans, along with some wheat and alfalfa hay. Farming is all Gary, the oldest son, has ever wanted to do. After high school, he took a short course at Purdue University before getting into the farming business with his father, continuing on after Wayne retired. Son John spent four years in the U.S. Navy. Both he and Gary have worked at other jobs, but never have strayed far from farming. “Once it’s in your blood, you don’t get rid of it,” Annie says. Gary, John, Jacque and the youngest son, Ben, along with their families, have all settled in the same neighborhood; they are a close family in more ways than one. Only son David has moved far from home; he lives in Georgia where he is director of a clinic for children with eating disorders. Two of Annie’s grandsons, Adam and Stewart, have both helped on the farm, marking the fifth generation to work the

land. Son Ben followed his mother into the field of education; he is a teacher. Jacque is a program operation director in social services and says her career choice was influenced in part by growing up on the farm. She remembers her family sharing produce with families who didn’t have as much, and life on the farm has taught her about hard work. “It gave me a heavy-duty work ethic,” Jacque says. “I had to help bale straw and hay. … We always had a garden; (there was) canning and freezing. And we mowed the grass with a push mower.” John talks of the independence that comes from being self-employed and of investing in something that has been handed down through generations. He also likes staying close to home. “I like being close to family, that’s one of the main things (about farming),” he says. What appeals to Annie about farm life is the diversity. “You don’t do the same thing every day,” she says. “There’s a group of jobs you have to do, and it changes all the time. It’s never boring.” *FI

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Farm Indiana // october 2013

Shoot to Thrill

Hunters are driven by love of game

story By richard isenhour

“I

f you are too busy to go hunting,” suggests outdoorsman O’Neill Williams, “then you’re just too busy.” An overwhelming number of people believe Williams, host of cable TV’s “O’Neill Outdoors,” is right on target. More than 90 million U.S. residents 16 or older participated in “wildlife-related recreation” during 2011, the most recent year in which such information was captured by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Of those, more than 13.7 million people went hunting, each spending an average of 20 days in pursuit of their game of choice. The survey estimates that as many as 1.8 million 6- to 15-year-olds also went hunting during the year. The numbers for all hunters represent a growth of about 10 percent in the past 10 years, according to Dan Ashe, director of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The growth is significant, he adds, because as a group, hunters added more than $33 billion to local economies throughout the country. “Wildlife-related recreation is a major driver of the nation’s economy,” Ashe notes. “The 2011 survey estimates Americans spent $145 billion on related gear, trips, licenses, land acquisition or leases, and other purchases, representing about 1 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product. This spending creates thousands of jobs, supports countless local communities and provides vital funding for conservation.” Recent figures for Indiana reflect those of the national survey. Extra hunting dates and new equipment regulations likely assisted in setting the record of 136,248 deer taken statewide during the 2012 hunting seasons, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. The total harvest is a 6 percent increase over the 2011 season’s take and topped the previous record of 134,004 deer set in 2010. The numbers also represent the resurgence in popularity of hunting in the state, especially during the past five or six years. According to a survey conducted in 2001, there were 290,000 hunters in the state. That number had slipped to about 272,000 by 2006. During the

next five years, though, the number of hunters in Indiana soared to more than 392,000, a growth of almost 45 percent. Granted, the merits of hunting always are the subject of much debate. For avid followers of the sport, though, the reasons for its popularity are many: being out in nature is relaxing; outsmarting an animal is exciting; feasting on an animal from the wild is more satisfying that eating one raised in a confined feeding operation; it’s important for proper game management; it saves money and is good for the economy; it’s safe. Regardless of the reason you hunt or whether you’re an experienced veteran or novice, there are a lot of things you need to know to be safe, successful and legal.

Licensed to hunt A valid license issued by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and applicable state or federal stamp privileges are required to hunt any wild animal on public or private land in Indiana. Among other general regulations: • You must have a permanent home and live in it as your primary residence for 60 consecutive days prior to purchasing a license or permit. • A hunting license must have an original signature and be carried with you while hunting. You must be able to produce it on the request of an Indiana conservation officer or other authorized law enforcement officer. • Anyone born after Dec. 31, 1986, must successfully complete a DNR-offered hunter education course and purchase an Indiana hunting license. (An online course is available by accessing the Indiana DNR website.) • DNR-issued licenses may be revoked at the discretion of a court or the Indiana DNR upon conviction of Fish & Wildlife law violations. • Licenses can’t be transferred and are non-refundable. • Resident owners or lessees of Indiana farm-

Safety First Hunting accidents in Indiana are rare, according to DNR spokesman Phil Bloom. Even though 275,000 to 300,000 people hunt in the state each year, only about 30 hunting-related accidents have been recorded over the past few years. And hunting-related deaths are even rarer, averaging one or fewer per year. Still, it pays to be safe. “While any hunting accident is regrettable and probably preventable in many instances, they are rare, especially when compared to other recreational activities,” Bloom notes. “But it’s important for hunters to realize and understand and take into account that accidents do happen.”

—The DNR suggests hunters take these safety measures when hunting with guns: Wear hunter orange that is visible in all directions. Treat every firearm as if it is loaded. Keep the muzzle of the firearm pointed in a safe direction at all times. Keep your finger off the trigger and outside the trigger guard until ready to shoot. Positively identify your target before pulling the trigger. Always know what’s beyond the target and have a good backstop. Rapping about trapping The trapping of animals has been practiced by outdoorsmen (and women) for thousands of years. Though some trappers say it is a great way to be out in nature, the primary purpose of trapping is to make money by selling furs.

—If you are among the hundreds of Indiana residents who set traps and run them, here are some state regulations you should know: You must have a valid Indiana trapping license to set traps. Traps may not be set prior to 8 a.m. on the opening day of trapping season. Trapping seasons include coyote and striped skunk, Oct. 15, 2013–March 15, 2014; red and gray fox, Oct. 15, 2013–Jan 31, 2014; beaver, Nov. 15, 2013–March 15, 2014; mink, muskrat, weasel, Nov. 15, 2013–Jan. 31, 2014; raccoon, opossum, Nov. 8, 2013–Jan. 31, 2014. It’s illegal to possess the untanned hides or unprocessed carcasses of furbearers, except of coyotes, beyond May 15 of the year or when the hunting or trapping season ended, or after June 15 if you submit a signed form showing the number of untanned hides and carcasses still in your possession by May 15. Care should be taken to avoid trapping river otters, an endangered species.

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land who farm that land, along with their spouses and children living with them, are exempt from licensing requirements when hunting, fishing or trapping on farmland they own or lease. There are three ways to purchase a hunting license: online at IndianaOutdoor.IN.gov; in person at one of the more than 800 retailers found at IndianaOutdoor.IN.gov; or by sending a check, money order or Visa or MasterCard to DNR Customer Service, 402 W. Washington St., W160, Indianapolis, IN 46204. Hunters 17 and younger must also possess a license issued by the Indiana DNR. However, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 have been designated as Youth Free Hunting Days. On these two days, any resident 17 or younger, when accompanied by an adult, can take any legal game in season.

At home on the range Mark Reiter, director of the DNR’s Division of Fish & Wildlife, says building a public shooting range used to be simple: Push dirt into a big pile for a backstop and set up three aisles for shots of different distances (25, 50 and 100 yards). Simple isn't always the best, however. “We started looking at our shooting ranges (in the late 1990s) and realized we had to make some changes,” Reiter says. “What we had wasn’t working.” For example, many of the shooting ranges were left unsupervised over the weekend. When employees showed up for work on Mondays, they spent the better part of the morning cleaning up trash and other items left behind by those who used the range over the weekend. A goal was set to open modern shooting ranges in several areas throughout the state. Nowadays, there are some 18 public shooting ranges in the state, including three in southcentral Indiana. These include archery, rifle, shotgun, handgun and skeet ranges at the Sgt. Joseph E. Proctor Memorial Shooting range at the Atterbury Fish & Wildlife Area in Johnson County, the largest in the state (812-526-2051); an archery range at the Jackson-Washington State Forest in Jackson County (812-358-2160); and archery, rifle, shotgun and handgun ranges at the Crosley Fish & Wildlife Area in Jennings County (812-346-5596).

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’Tis the season If hunting’s your bag, getting caught hunting out of season can muzzle your enthusiasm. Here are Indiana’s 2013-2014 hunting seasons. Furbearers—noon of the first day to noon of the last day Red and gray fox (no limit), Oct. 15, 2013–Feb. 28, 2014 Coyote, striped skunk (no limit), Oct. 15, 2013–March 15, 2014 Raccoon, opossum (no limit), Nov. 8, 2013–Jan. 31, 2014 Dog running (raccoon, opossum) (no limit), Feb. 1, 2013–Oct. 25, 2014 Woodland game Wild turkey—one-half hour before sunrise to sunset Youth Spring 2014 (one bearded or male turkey in spring), April 19 and 20, 2014 Spring 2014 (one bearded or male turkey in spring), April 23–May 11, 2014 Fall archery only (one bird of either sex for fall archery and firearm combined), Oct. 1–27, 2013; Dec. 7, 2013– Jan. 5, 2014 Fall firearm and archery, Oct. 16 through Oct. 27, 2013, for Morgan, Monroe, Brown, Bartholomew, Jackson and Jennings counties; Oct. 16 through Oct. 20, 2013, for Hendricks, Johnson, Decatur, Marion and Hancock counties. Deer—one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset Urban deer zones, including most of Indianapolis (one antlered deer and three antlerless deer or four antlerless deer), Sept. 15, 2013–Jan. 31, 2014

Archery (two antlerless deer or one antlered and one antlerless deer), Oct. 1, 2013–Jan. 5, 2014

Upland game Pheasant (cock only) (two per day) Nov. 8–Dec. 22, 2013

Firearms (one antlered deer), Nov. 16–Dec. 1, 2013

Quail, north of State Road 26 (five per day), Nov. 8–Dec. 22, 2013; south of State Road 26 (eight per day), Nov. 8, 2013– Jan. 15, 2014

Muzzleloader (one antlered deer), Dec. 7–Dec. 22, 2013 Others Squirrel (five per day), Aug. 15, 2013– Jan. 31, 2014

Rabbit (five per day), Nov. 8, 2013– Feb. 15, 2014

Ruffed grouse (private lands) (two per day), Oct. 1–Dec. 31, 2013

Miscellaneous Crow (no limit), Dec. 13, 2013– March 1, 2014

Ruffed grouse (public lands) (two per day), Oct. 1–Nov. 15, 2013

Frog (bull and green only) (25 per day), June 15, 2013–April 30, 2014)

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B12

Farm Indiana // october 2013

Volunteers assemble food for clients at the Interchurch Food Pantry in Franklin. Daily Journal file photo.

Hunting in Public There are more than 50 public hunting areas in Indiana, mostly in the northern and southern parts of the state. These include 25

Deer hunters can help pantries feed the needy

Fish & Wildlife areas managed by the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife, with a combined 135,000 acres of public hunting opportunities; 14 managed by the DNR Division of forestry, including areas in the Morgan-Monroe, Clark, Har-

By Aubrey woods

rison Crawford and Yellowwood state

wo years ago, a Vallonia couple launched an effort to make it easier for local hunters to help fight hunger by donating venison to area food pantries. In the first year, the program saw 48 deer totaling 2,880 pounds of meat go to area food pantries, organizer Dirk Botkin said. “I’m not sure what the reason, but we were down last year,” Botkin said. Only 19 were brought in for processing last year. “We hope to get those numbers back up this year,” he added. He and his wife, Shannon, are coordinators of the Jackson County chapter of Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. The program worked better than he expected a year ago, and he hopes for better this year once deer hunting season comes into full force. “This is something I’ve always wanted to do, and I know it’s going to take a while to grow it,” he said. Botkin said the decision to form a chapter of Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry was a simple one. “I just look at this as a way to give something back to the community,” he said. The national organization was founded in Virginia in 1997 and has 16 chapters in Indiana, including Jackson County’s chapter and the Southern Indiana chapter, which covers Dearborn, Decatur, Franklin, Jennings, Ohio, Ripley and Switzerland counties. The purpose of the outreach ministry is to feed venison to the nation’s hungry. The program in Jackson County is easy, Botkin said. “If you hunt and don’t want your deer (meat), you can just take it to Darlage’s,” Botkin said in reference to Darlage Custom Meats, 5974 E. County Road 410N, Seymour. That’s it. Hunters donating a deer will be asked to sign paperwork stating the deer was taken legally, he said. Botkin said the meat from one deer, depending upon its size, can yield up to 200 meals. Darlage Custom Meats

forests; and eight reservoir properties under the management of the DNR Division of State Parks & Reservoirs.

will then process the deer, grinding up the meat and putting it in 2-pound packages. “The national organization wants the venison that way because it’s easier to distribute,” Botkin said. The chapter also will ensure the deer meat makes it to one of three food pantries in Seymour — Community Provisions Inc., Anchor House and Human Services Inc. Paul Brock with Community Provisions Inc. said the program is a good one. “It’s a big help,” Brock said. “If given a choice, many people will take the venison over beef. That’s a big change from when we started.” He said people were a little leery about taking the venison at first, but now it goes out the door nearly as fast as it comes in the pantry. Botkin said Walmart Supercenter and Walmart Distribution Center help pay for much of the processing through grants, but people or businesses also may donate by contacting him or visiting the national organization’s website. Botkin said the program will continue to operate year-round because the state Department of Natural Resources grants permits to farmers to take deer that are damaging crops, and the meat from those also can be donated to the program.

From ‘regs’ to riches Knock. Knock. Who’s there? Orange. Orange who? Orange clothing. Hunters must wear, as an outer garment exposed at all times, one or more of these items in fluorescent orange: vest, coat, jacket, coveralls, hat or cap. This is one of several general hunting regulations all hunters should know. Others include: • It is illegal to hunt, trap, chase or retrieve game on private property without permission of the landowner. • It’s also illegal to kill or cripple any wild animal without making a reasonable effort to retrieve the animal and include it in your daily bag limit. • Laser sights are legal for all hunting. • When hunting for migratory game birds and waterfowl, such as doves, ducks and geese, it is illegal to use a shotgun capable of holding more than three shells. • Protected or regulated wild animals, living or dead, cannot be sold, traded or bartered. (For a complete list of Indiana hunting regulations, you can download the 2013-14 Indiana Hunting and Trapping Guide by logging on to in.gov/dnr/fishwild/2343.htm)

Starve Hollow State Recreation Area

There are several public hunting areas in the Farm Indiana coverage area. These include: The Atterbury Fish and Wildlife Area Johnson County 812-526-2051 Morgan-Monroe State Forest Monroe County 765-342-4026 Yellowwood State Forest Brown County 812-988-7945 Starve Hollow State Recreation Area Jackson County 812-358-3464 Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge Jackson County 812-522-4352 Brush Creek Fish and Wildlife Area Jennings County 812-458-8780 Crosley Fish and Wildlife Area Jennings County 812-346-5596 Selmier State Forest Jennings County 812-346-2286

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Farm Indiana // october 2013

B13

Seymour Tribune Staff Reports

CheckIN Online

Gearing up for the hunt By richard isenhour

unting and trapping were a lot more basic in the pioneer days. Native Americans taught the settlers how to hunt and fish, as well as how to use canoes in the summer and snowshoes in the winter to pursue their prey. About the only other hunting gear a pioneer needed was a good shotgun or rifle. If a pioneer could afford it, he’d buy a rifle from one of the scant manufacturers of the day. Most likely, though, he’d commission the local blacksmith to forge him one. It’s taking some time, but things are beginning to change. While there still is a large flock of hunters who cling to traditional ways, there is a growing number of so-called new-age hunters. These are sporting enthusiasts who meld hunting basics with the latest in technology and gear. These modern-day warriors of the woodlands wear lightweight clothing designed to keep them warm, dry and odor free. They use “smart rifles,” guns that use lasers and computer technology to make shooters very accurate. In addition to high-tech firearms, they carry laser range finders to help them accurately gauge the distance of their shot. They sport ear pieces that amplify the sound of approaching game and brandish the latest in digital trail cameras — including cellular models that can be accessed remotely by computer — to take photos and record the day and time animals use a trail. They rely on GPS to guide them to their favorite hunting spot and help them so they don’t get lost in the woods. To keep them from spooking big game, new-age hunters climb into their Confidence Cow Decoy, a life-sized fake cow. And no new-age hunter would be caught without Gum-O-Flage, a specialty gum that comes in honey, pine and apple flavors so animals won’t catch a whiff of human breath. Most hunting and sporting goods stores carry some new-age hunting gear or at least can order it. At The Outdoorsman Sports Shop (1010 S. State Road 135, Greenwood, 317-881-7446, outdoorsmansportshop.com), for example, owner and manager Doug McPherson says he is selling items he never even dreamed about when his family opened the store 30 years ago. “Our goal of providing sportsmen with excellent service and reliable products has not changed,” McPherson maintains. “Most of our regulars prefer to stick with gear and the ways they’ve hunted for years, but we do get customers who are interested in the latest in hunting technology.” Included in The Outdoorsman’s 10,000 square feet of display is an inventory of the latest innovations in hunting, including scent blockers and sprays designed to mask that “human odor” that spooks animals; high-tech weaponry, including bows and crossbows from more than 20 manufacturers and an equal number of manufacturers of rifles, shotguns and muzzleloaders.

Among the more popular items stocked by the outlet: —A complete line of Sitka hunting gear and clothing, including GORE Optifade Concealment wear, touted as the first concealment system that is designed around animal vision instead of human eyesight. Unlike traditional camouflage, the Sitka wear prevents prey from recognizing you as a predator. —A line of Yeti coolers, which are lightweight coolers with about two inches of polyurethane foam to keep game, fish and drinks colder longer than traditional coolers.

Indiana’s online harvest reporting system for hunters has been made more user friendly going into the fall deer and turkey hunting seasons. Several upgrades now allow hunters who previously used CheckIN Game to view past harvest data. “One real benefit is that you can now look up your confirmation number if you lose it,” said Mitch Marcus, DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife’s wildlife chief. “Last year this was not an option. This makes the process easier for hunters and DNR staff.” Deer and turkey hunters can report their harvest for free using any device with Internet connectivity at CheckINGame.dnr.IN.gov without having to take the animal to a check station.

—Tree stands that look like trees and can keep hunters cool in hot weather and warm in cold. Still, most of The Outdoorsman’s floor space is devoted to the more traditional hunting gear and apparel. “We’ve been pretty darn busy,” McPherson notes, “but I’d have to say most of our sales are to deer hunters or those hunting waterfowl who come in to buy the ammo and supplies they’ve been buying for years. There is some interest in the new things, but our clientele tends to stick with the basics.” All hunters have their favorite gun and sporting goods store, and some frequently hop aboard the superhighway to shop for hunting gear and apparel. In addition to The Outdoorsman, here are some places hunters can visit in their neck of the woods: 812GUNS 5120 E. Road 800N, Columbus, 812guns.com Ed’s Trading Post 8102 S. Nineveh Road, Nineveh, (317) 933-4867 Elmore’s Firearms 520 N. State Road 135, Suite 1, Greenwood, (317) 888-5400

“This saves hunters time and money by allowing them to check in their game from the convenience of their home or directly in the field,” said Mark Reiter, DNR Fish & Wildlife director. Opponents of the electronic check-in system, however, point to the potential loss of biological information gathered annually during the deer firearms season. “Biologists normally go to check-in stations to check on disease and the age of the deer,” Linnea Petercheff, operations staff specialist with Division of Fish & Wildlife, said for an earlier story. “They go out the first Saturday and Sunday of firearms season for deer.” The state uses that information to determine the age and general health of the deer population and to track disease among the herd. “There is some concern that information will be lost,” Petercheff said. “Many hunters are supporting it, citing the convenience, particularly with deer,” she added. “They say they have trouble getting a deer checked in during the required time period, and also there are fewer turkey check-in stations.” Last fall, hunters checked in 53,389 deer and 330 fall

Honey Creek Tackle Bargersville, honeycreektackle.com

turkeys online. DNR officials have said participation

J&J Custom Firearms 1718 17th St., Columbus, (812) 379-9097

in the system will continue to increase as more hunters discover its ease and convenience. Hunters using CheckIN Game must write the con-

Outdoorsman Sports Shop 1010 S. State Road 135, Greenwood, (317) 881-7446

firmation number they are provided on the temporary tag they place on their harvested deer or turkey. An

Ranger Custom Firearms 1603 Cottage Ave., Columbus, (812) 350-3211, rangercustomfirearms.com

enhancement to the system allows conservation officers to use a confirmation number to check the validity of harvested game, eliminating the need for hunters to have a printed confirmation receipt.

“I’d have to say most of our sales are to deer hunters or those hunting waterfowl who come in to buy the ammo and supplies they’ve been buying for years. There is some interest in the new things, but our clientele tends to stick with the basics.”

—doug mcpherson

CheckIN Game became available Sept. 15, which was the start of the urban zone deer season. The system will be available for all deer seasons and fall turkey seasons. Hunters still can report their deer or turkey at any of more than 500 traditional check stations. A list of check stations by county is in the 2013 Indiana Hunting & Trapping Guide at Hunting.IN.gov. *FI

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B14

Farm Indiana // september 2013

A New Space

240Sweet owners settle into a bigger location

Alexa Lemley, left, and Samantha Aulick. Photo by Stacy Able Photography

W by clint smith

ith their trademark purple bus now stationed just off U.S.

And the executive chef and “marshmallow mastermind” is in the process of ac-

31 near Taylorsville, the pastry artisans at 240Sweet have

quiring yet another title: distiller. “We have applied for our distillery license and

made their big move. Alexa Lemley, executive chef of Lem-

hope to be making bourbon, vodka, gin and white corn whiskey in the next year or

leys’ Catering and 240Sweet, relocated her businesses from

two,” she explains.

downtown Columbus to their new spot in August. “We

Lemley’s ambition is to utilize the surrounding property, along with an adjacent

(Lemley and 240Sweet co-owner Samantha Aulick) love our new location,” Lemley

cornfield, for cultivating the necessary plants, and she would like to collaborate

says. “It’s closer to the interstate, making it easier for our out-of-town guests to visit us.”

with local farmers in creating a signature “hooch.” Check out 240sweet.com for

The company’s new creative space is a yin-yang combination of industrial-style

more information.

kitchen and production area. The wide wall behind the ovens is covered with sleek, stainless steel plates and is next to an inviting gift shop and sales suite displaying packages of Lemley’s gourmet marshmallows. And it’s the popularity of these puffed treats, which are available in more than 200 flavors, that have Lemley, a self-proclaimed “marshmallow mastermind” and 20-year veteran of the food service and catering industries, to branch out locally and nationally. 240Sweet’s gourmet marshmallows are available in New York, New Jersey and Colorado, and its market is expanding each time the purple bus, which Lemley casually refers to as the “marshmallow mobile,” hits the road. During the holiday seasons, the 240Sweet bus is loaded up with goods to be sold at holiday extravaganzas throughout the East Coast and Midwest.

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Farm Indiana // october 2013

Going to

Hell

By the time you read this, local chef and Franklin resident Chris Runion, 29, should know whether he’s made the cut as a competing cast member on Fox’s reality show “Hell’s Kitchen.” Known for the acerbic style and salty language of the show’s star, chef Gordon Ramsey, “Hell’s Kitchen” has its detractors (mostly noting the show’s lack of realistic situations), but many say it also has helped sustain our culture’s ongoing culinary conversation.

Local chef attempts to make the cut on reality series

For Runion, the interview process began three years ago, when his mother, Peggy Runion, suggested he throw his chef’s hat into the competition ring. “My mother watches the show regularly,” he says. “I told her, ‘Let’s do it,’” and a lengthy application process followed. His path ap-

by clint smith

B15

peared clear, but due to several personal circumstances, he was unable to attend the preliminary interview, and his dream seemed to be dissipating like so much steam from a pan. But fast-forward three years, when Fox producers sent Runion a surprise email requesting another screening, this time in Nashville, Tenn. “I was selected for a followup interview the next week and was able to take it.” Now, it’s just a waiting game. Runion credits his mother for more than just coaxing him into the competition. “She’s the one who taught me to cook and has supported my culinary dream,” he says. His mother, says Runion, is his hero.

3 eggs 1 cup oil 2 cups sugar 1 small can of packed pumpkin 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice >> In a large bowl, mix first five ingredients together. In separate bowl, whisk the next six dry ingredients together. Then add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet. (Optional: At this point, it would be appropriate to incorporate a desired addition of nuts or chocolate chips.)

Twist and Shout by clint smith

As owner and baker of the home-based Bread With A Twist, Jonna Barnett truly is a business of one. “I bake at my home,” she says, but her confections sell at local farmers markets. Barnett uses Facebook to both promote her pastries and provide pointers for others. Now in the midst of autumn, she has a few tips for other bakers. “Nothing beats the smell of cinnamon while baking,” she notes. “It evokes the feeling that fall is in the air. It can be as simple as basic cinnamon bread or a more challenging yeasted bread.” In addition to her autumnal creations of apple-cinna-

mon bread, pumpkin bread and orange-cranberry glazed bread, Barnett is keen on showcasing a particular type of fruit in her concoctions. “I personally love persimmons,” she says, though she acknowledges that not everyone is a fan of the fruit. She encourages readers to embrace the classics while placing a new, personal spin on them. “It can be as easy as adding chocolate chips to your favorite pumpkin bread, or tweaking the spices in a recipe to your liking.” Here, she shares her favorite pumpkin bread recipe.

Grease a large loaf pan and bake at 325 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes or until center of loaf is fully cooked; you can check this by inserting a toothpick or thin paring knife. Allow bread to rest and slightly cool for at least an hour before slicing and serving.

Read more from Jonna Barnett on Facebook at facebook.com/BreadWithATwist.

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